Student Recommendations for Protecting College Opportunity Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dear University of California, California State University, and California Community College Leadership:

The California Students Higher Education Advocacy Round Table (HEART) is a coalition of student-led organizations, associations and partners from across California dedicated to cultivating and empowering the next generation of student leaders by providing an ongoing venue for community college and university students to have statewide conversations and collaborate on key priorities in public higher education.

The California Students HEART coalition recognizes the extraordinary circumstances that our campus and system leaders face, as you work swiftly to keep students, faculty and staff safe. We appreciate the bold leadership many campus and system leaders have shown by providing resources such as emergency basic needs grants, extending credit/no credit deadlines and offering paid leave to student workers, but access to these resources are inconsistent across campuses. Our student leaders and advocates have convened to discuss student concerns, campus response and system responses by the CCC, UC and CSU (or lack thereof) to student needs amid the COVID-19 outbreak. As you weigh in on emerging policy changes during this difficult time, our coalition of student leaders has outlined the following recommendations for your urgent consideration: